Wrench.



No; 696,406. Patented Apr. l, l9fll2.

' R. A. BREUL.

WRENCH.

(Application filed June 5, 1901?) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES arnwm FFICE.

RICHARD A. BREUL, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,406, dated April 1,1902.

Application filed June 5, 1901.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD A. BREUL, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWVrenches, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to new and usefulimprovements in wrenches of the adjustable-j aw type, such as are used in various work for adjusting nuts,screws, and the like.

A large variety of adjustable wrenches have heretofore been devised andpatented, and many such are now in use; but mechanical means arecontinually searched for the development of a free-acting jaw which iseasily adjusted and likewise conveniently tightened or loosened. Onlypartial success has thus far been met in the above respect, and saiddevices are costly to manufacture or weak and defective points in themstill exist. I have therefore devised a wrench, as will later bedescribed, which is simple in construction, of handy shape, small incompass, and adapted to be instantly set to the desired size.

It is the object of myinvention to provide a wrench for the abovepurpose the jaw of which may be quickly and readily adjusted to its workand firm in its engagement, yet be of the simplest possibleconstruction, thus making it inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved bar for thewrench which by its peculiar connection with the solid jaw, the handleand its ferrules is stronger and otherwise better adapted for thevarious uses.

With the above objects in view my invenlion resides and consists in thenovel construction and combination of parts shown on the accompanyingsheet of drawings, forming a part of this specification, upon whichsimilar characters of reference denotelike or corresponding partsthroughout the several figures, and of which- Figure 1 shows aperspective view of my improved wrench complete. Fig. 2 is a sectionalside elevation with the handle broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail rearelevation of the movable jaw. Figs. t and 5 are detail side elevationsof steel engaging blocks which I use in the movable jaw. Fig. 6 is adetail Serial No. 63,288- (No model.)

side View of the movable jaw with a modified form of engaging plugtherein.

Referring in detail to the characters of reference marked upon thedrawings," A indicates the handle-bar of my improved wrench, B a jawpinned to the outer end thereof, and C a movable jaw adjustably mountedupon the bar A. In practice the bar referred to is perfectly smooth onall sides and the movable jaw slides freely thereon.

The means for securing the loose jaw to the bar consist first inproviding in said jaw a square steel shoe D, (see Fig. 4,) having aserrated face E to engage the front edge F of the bar. Acoil-springG(seeFig. 2) is placed in a suitably-located hole at the back of the jaw andis held inclosed by a cap H. A pin I is located within the spring and isprovided with an enlarged engaging head which bears or slides upon thebar instead of allowing the spring itself to so engage. This springkeeps the face E of shoe D in contact with the bar. In the back of saidjaw, diagonally 0pposite the shoe D and close to the line of theoperative face of the jaw, is a similarly-acting steel plug J, (see Fig.5,) which is provided with a transversely-serrated face to engage theback edge of the handle-bar in the operation of the device.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a movable jawhaving a transverse cylindrical shoeD, containing a flattened roughened side to operate against the edge ofthe bar. This shoe, like the square one, is held in place by a drivefit, as will be apparent.

In addition to the endwise friction by the spring-actuated pin in therear of thejawIprovideaside friction,which serves tohold thejaw morefirmly in place. This frictional device comprises a flat spring K, oneend of which is dovetailed into a rib of the jaw and has its free endextended inward alongside of said jaw and bearing against a movable pinL, loosely fitted in a suitable hole through the side of said jaw. Theinner end of this pin is consequently tightly held into frictionalengagement with the fiat side of the bar and also provides to someextent a fulcrum around which the jaw may swing so far as permitted bythe bar. It will be thus apparent that in the operation of my wrench ifit is desired to adjust the jaws the operator l upper rear portion witha roughened end surwould simply press down upon the back of the same,thereby compressing the spring G and slightly tilting the operative endof said jaw forward, thus raising both shoes from the edges of the bar,which position affords a free and unobstructed movement to said jaw.When the jaw is brought against the work, the action of the springs Gand K retains the jaw in place, and when pressure is brought to bear bythe application of a lift or pry to the handle the roughened surfaces ofthe hardened shoes will more firmly engage and embed themselves into thesoft metal of the handle, thus affording a firm and positive engagementof the two in a manner to prevent any sliding of the jaw.

The wrench shank is of equal section throughout, passes through thesolid jaw and also through the inner handle-ferrule N and the handle Mitself, and is pinned to the solid jaw and to both handle-ferrules. Thehandle is held by the ferrule-flanges only and can be taken off orreplaced quickly by simply removing the end ferrule N, which is done bydriving out the pin 0, holding it to the shank. It will be seen that theend ferrule N covers the end ofbar and is different from the otherferrule in that ithas no aperture through its bottom.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A wrench composed of a bar and a jaw fixed thereto, a jaw adapted tofreely slide on said bar, a transverse circular plug passing through thelower front portion of said jaw, and having a flattened side, with aseries of teeth in line with the shank-cavity, a downwardly andrearwardly inclined plug having a series of teeth on its engaging endsituated in a seat of the back portion of said movable jaw, aspring-actuated headed pin locatedin the lower rear part of said movablejaw and a cap inclosing said pin and spring.

2. Ina wrench, the combination of a sliding jaw having on its lowerfront portion a circular plug with a flattened roughened side surface inline with the shank-cavity therein, a hole in its lower rear portioncontaining a spring-actuated plug, a cap to retain said plug and spring,a second circular plug in the face also in line with the shank-cavity.

3. A wrench composed of a bar having a jaw secured thereto, a jawadapted to freely slide on said bar, said loose jaw having in line withthe shank-cavity in its lower front portion a circular plug having aflattened side surface containing a series of teeth, and also providedin the upper rear portion of its shank-cavity with a series of teethcontained on the upper end face of a downward and rearward inclinedcircular plug.

4:. In a wrench, the combination of a sliding jaw having on its lowerfront portion a plug with a flattened roughened surface in line with theshank-cavity therein, a flat spring secured to the side of the movablejaw, a movable pin mounted in a hole through the side of said jaw andforced against the wrenchbar by said spring, a circular plug in theupper rear portion of the movable jaw with a roughened end surface alsoin line with the shank-cavity.

5. In a Wrench, the combination withabar having a fixed jaw, of asliding jaw thereon with a plug having a roughened fiat surface in linewith the bar-cavity therein, a frictionpin mounted in said jaw andbearing on the side of the bar, a fiat spring secured to the jaw andbearing against the pin to hold it in engagement with the bar,substantially as described.

6. A wrench comprising a bar having ajaw 8 fixed thereto, a movable jawslidably mounted on said bar, a plug securedin said jaw and having aserrated surface to engage the front of the wrench-bar, a circular plugwith a serrated face for contact with the rear of the said bar in theupper rear portion of said movable jaw, a spring-actuated pin in theback of said jaw, and a spring-actuated pin in the side of the jaw, bothof said pins being arranged to frietionally engage the bar uponwhichsaid jaw is mounted.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, this 31st day of May, A. D. 1901.

RICHARD A. BREUL.

Witnesses:

O. M. NEWMAN, W. V. DEVITT.

